New Era Ready To Begin At South Buxton Raceway
Bombers racing action at South Buxton in 2013 – Photo by James MacDonald – Apex One Photo
New promoters Sherry and Gary Lemesurier began preparing for the 2014 season about the time the checkered flag fell on the 2013 season last September.
Actually, the racers and fans could sense the ‘Lemesurier touch’ earlier in the 2013 season when the life-long race fanatics took on bigger roles in track operations under previous management.
The Lemesuriers have been busy all off-season, making huge improvements at the race track while trying to restore South Buxton’s reputation off the track.
“We’ve seen racing from both sides of the fence, Gary and I decided it was time to step up and help put South Buxton back on the map,” Sherry said, as she joked that she and Gary have 85 years experience in racing between them.
Gary was involved in racing long before South Buxton opened in 1971 as Raleigh Raceway. He has been the car owner of many championship winning drivers over the track’s 42 years.
Sherry said she got hooked on racing at five years of age and has done every job at the race track, from changing tires in the pits, flipping burgers in the kitchen, scoring in the tower and running the old Great Lakes Late Models series.
“The feedback and support from everybody has been positive,” Sherry said, as a lot of old and new sponsors are coming back on board, building on the enthusiasm of a new beginning.
“We appreciate what everyone is doing to help us – we’re all looking forward to a great season,” Sherry said.
Work began on 2014 literally when the dust settled at the end of last year as the wooden front stretch wall from turn four to the flags stand was removed and has been replaced by a new cement barrier.
There has also been a lot of clean up and painting to the facility to give South Buxton a fresh new look.
There will be five classes of racing every Saturday night from May 3 through championship nights on September 13 and 20, with the season coming to an exciting climax with the two-night Canadian Fall Shootout on Sept. 26-27.
Schinkels Gourmet Meats is returning to sponsor the UMP Modifieds for a seventh straight year while Tirecraft is ‘doing the double’ this year, returning as the Mini-Mods class sponsor for a fourth year as well as taking on the Sport Stocks class.
Joining the division sponsorship line-up in 2014 will be the Westside Performance Plus UMP Late Models and the Autotech Sales & Service Bombers.
The 2014 schedule is full of special events for the fans and drivers.
The excitement starts early when South Buxton Raceway honours its past greats with the first inductions to the Alumni Hall of Fame on May 10.
The inaugural Hall of Fame class is a ‘Who’s Who’ in Raleigh Raceway-South Buxton Raceway history – Joe Atkinson Larry Atkinson, Fred Chambers, Gord DeWael, Brent Gibbons, Gord Gotelaer, Don Hendricks, Al McCully, Jim Morlog and John Reynolds.
The Southern Ontario Sprints will make two appearances at South Buxton Raceway (July 5 and August 2).
The Can-Am Topless Sprints will also be here twice (June 14 and Aug. 23).
The mid-season championship night is July 12 with the season championship nights Sept. 13 and 20.
South Buxton will also say ‘thank you’ to the fans with two half-price admission nights (May 17 and Aug. 9).
There will be two autograph nights (May 24 and Aug. 2).
South Buxton will host memorial races on four nights this season – Gord Gotelaer Late Model June 7; Don Hendricks Late Model June 28; Memorial Night (Gord DeWael, Cory Schives, Len Bryden and Brian Outhouse) July 26; and Rick Haskell Late Models Aug. 30.
South Buxton will not be hosting a SWOTPA Tractor Pull this season and will not be taking the Saturday off for the Canadian Sprint Championships in September.
Article originally from the South Buxton Raceway website.